Author: Dr. William Rassman

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Hair Loss InformationHair Transplant Results of Man with 2415 Grafts (with Photos) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

This is a college professor who saw a new man in the mirror with this single hair transplant procedure of 2415 grafts. He has fine hair, which often takes more than one session for a completely full look. He told me that no one ever noticed the transition in his appearance, because the change was so slow.

Approximately 2/3rds of the transplants were placed in the first 6 inches of the hairline, which was moved forward, and some grafts were placed in the frontal part of the crown area.

Click photos to enlarge.

After (2415 grafts):

 

Before:

 

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Hair Loss InformationBlack Tea and DHT? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have read some studies online about black tea and dht.They seem to indicate that black tea reduces dht as much as propecia while actually increasing serum testosterone levels. Do you know anything about this

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Earl Grey is black tea, and it’s probably the most common tea in the UK… where hair loss is just as prominent as anywhere else in the world. Those who try to connect DHT with the current supplement/food source of the day can have a big market impact, so it doesn’t surprise me that the buzzwords get people excited.

As far as I recall, the study about black tea and DHT was in a couple dozen lab rats and it was published a few years ago. I don’t know anything further, but I suspect that if there was anything to it, more would’ve been announced since then. If someone has more info, please feel free to let me know.

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In the News – Using Mayonnaise for Treating Dry Hair? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Yes, this is gross, but before you knock it take a minute and think about what comprises mayonnaise. It’s primarily made of eggs, oil, and water (plus a little lemon). Oil is commonly known to be good for dry anything. Eggs are also used to treat dry skin and dry hair. The water doesn’t matter much one way or the other and lemon juice can add shine to your hair. If you think about the benefits mayonnaise provides, you’re probably better off putting it on your head and body than actually eating it. (It is pretty fatty after all.)

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Read the rest — Soften Up Your Dry Hair and Skin with Mayonnaise

For those who want a natural solution to dry hair, this may work. I can’t speak from personal experience, though. And when you’re done, you can break out the deli meats and a couple of bread slices for a delicious lunch.

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SMP with Long Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have long hair and am interested in SMP. Can I put pigment in my hair to make it look fuller?

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Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) works best for those who want to shave their hair (keeping it clipped very short). Even hair as long as 1/2 cm may not look right with SMP. You must remember that this is a permanent pigment (tattoo) without a three-dimensional texture.

Let’s say you had a scar on your scalp from surgery. If you shave the hair around the scar, SMP can mimic the same look (thus disguising the scar). When the hair grows, there will be an uneven step-off look until your hair grows long enough to cover it. Another issue with SMP is the color matching. If you have brown hair, SMP may not match if the hair is kept long. SMP works for shaved brown hair, because the hair color almost looks grey when it’s that short. So if you match the color of a shaved hair, it will not match with the long hair (unless your hair color is black).

In a minority of cases we do use SMP in between the hair to make it look fuller. In effect, this is coloring your scalp to diminish the contrast between hair color and scalp color. If you do this, you will need to keep your hair longer (5cm+ or so) so that it would not look like you tattooed your scalp. This method is only recommended if you are never going to cut your hair short (for life), because if you shave or cut your hair short it will not look right.

In summary — SMP is not so simple. It’s a permanent procedure that works best for shaved hair where we use a shade of grey (not brown). If you keep your hair long and we use your dark brown pigment to give you fullness, cutting your hair short later will cause the different color to stand out. If you want some permanent color to your scalp while keeping your hair long, it’s doable, but not advised for everyone. I think temporary camouflaging products such as DermMatch and Toppik are the best for those situations.

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Is a Mature Hairline Classified as Norwood 2? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’ve been told I have a mature hairline, and that I have nothing to worry about regarding hair loss, which is a great relief. However, I have a couple of questions;

First off, is a mature hairline classed as a Norwood 2? Because from comments on various forums, they say I have a Norwood 1 hairline, but it’s matured, and when I cross reference my hairline with the scale, it fits in more with a Norwood 1.

Secondly, is it possible for someone to develop a mature hairline and then that’s their hairline for the rest of their life? What age does maturing kick in? I’m 21.

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I generally don’t like to classify patients in Norwood class 1 or 2, because it isn’t really considered hair loss. This is not a surgical issue, at least in our hands. I suppose a mature hairline can look like a Norwood 1 or 2. If you feel the absolute need to classify yourself in a certain Norwood pattern, go for it! Doctors usually use the Norwood classification not to label you, but to predict and follow your hair loss pattern over time, particularly in planning surgery.

Some men will have a mature hairline for life and no loss beyond that. There’s no specific age you can look to as a deadline for this to occur.

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I Stopped Propecia After Reading About Breast Cancer Risks – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

HI, I have taken propecia for about 3 1/2 years. I recently stopped taking it which has been about 2 months because of fears of developing breast cancer. I had a form of gynecomastia which developed when I was around 12 years old. I had surgery to correct it 7 years ago. Also the only person in my family to get cancer has been my mother who had breast cancer 5 years ago. Now I was told by my doctor that propecia does not cause male breast cancer but I have read online that it might increase the risk.

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The best medical advice is obtained from your medical doctor, not the Internet. This site isn’t a place for medical advice either. In general, Propecia can cause gynecomastia as a rare side effect… but it does not CAUSE breast cancer.

There have been reports of breast cancer in men who took Propecia, but the causality cannot be established and it is very, very rare by the reports I’ve read in the literature. So the lesson here is talk with your doctor and find the treatment option best for you.

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In the News – Embryonic Stem Cell Breakthrough – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the non-hair-loss article:

The first pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have been generated from somatic cell nuclear transfer, according to a study published today (October 5) in Nature. The findings validate this controversial method, and may one day allow therapeutic stem cells to be created from a patient’s own genetic material.

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Read the rest — New Way to Make Embryonic Stem Cells

I meant to post this last week, but it’s still worth posting for those that might have missed it. If there’s too much scientific jargon in the article, there’s also one on CNN.com that might be a better read.

This is a controversial and newsworthy topic, and although cloned humans aren’t on the way yet, further research could pave the way to making disease a thing of the past.

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I Can’t Maintain an Erection After Being on Propecia for 2 Months – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I started propecia just under 2 months ago, and within the last 2 weeks recently began experiencing sexual side effects in that i cant maintain an erection with my girlfriend

i have decided to stop propecia, as im nervous about the risks now – will my ability to maintain an erection return? how long does it take for the side effects to go away?

i’ve seen very disturbing blog postings on how these may be permanent sexual side effects – is that possible for me given i only took it for 2 months?

thanks!

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Decreased erection is one of the side effects of Propecia which occur in 1 to 2 percent of the men who take it. It correlates with what I see in my clinical practice (as well as my colleagues around the country). These side effects are reversible within one to two weeks once you stop the medication, which also correlates with what I see in my clinical practice (as well as my colleagues around the country). I do realize there are some men on the Internet who claim they lost their ability to achieve an erection permanently, but I cannot validate the claims.

There was an article published that claimed persistent sexual side effect associated with Propecia, but it was not a scientific study. The published paper was an interview of 71 men with clear limitations. The study itself mentions this: “Study limitations include a post hoc approach, selection bias, recall bias for before finasteride data, and no serum hormone levels.” In my opinion, the publication of the study did more harm than good, as many are now citing this article blindly as proof.

If you are having trouble with your erection, follow up with the doctor who prescribed the medication or your primary care doctor. The Internet is a great source of information and misinformation, but it is not a substitute proper professional diagnosis or treatment.

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Declining Propecia Benefits and Shock Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

If you have been taking propecia for a number of years and you are seeing the benefits slowly decline, but you opt to get a hair transplant done anyways, wouldn’t that still kill the native hair beside the transplanted hair because of shock loss? because the benefits of propecia are declining.

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Maybe, but that is were your doctor’s expertise comes in. Your scenario is the worst case outcome, but our experience has shown that finasteride can reduce the risks of shock loss after a hair transplant. Shock loss would be a “worst case” if you do have surgery.

You will have to weigh the “risks versus the benefit” and the inevitability of where your pattern will end up. You will arrive at a point where the surgery will make a difference despite the worst case shock hair loss.

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I Increased My Finasteride Dosage and Had Shortness of Breath – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hey guys, love the blog. Big fan for years. So, I’ve been using proscar for over ten years and lately (due to lack of effectiveness) I’ve upped my dose from 4 equal parts to 3. I don’t know if it’s just coincidence because I’m having stress and anxiety but I’ve been having problems with shortness of breath. So, I put myself back down to 1/4 pills months ago, but the symptoms persist. I’m wondering if I should just go off the drug all together for a few wks and reset my gauges. Have you heard of this before?

Thanks

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All drugs have side effects, but I do not believe shortness of breath is in the list of effects possibly caused by Propecia, although it might be indicative of an allergy. I don’t know if you recently switched brands of finasteride, but if there’s no allergy, shortness of breath can be an early indicator of heart or lung disease. Please follow up with your doctor.